Direct action against the cuts!

 

The old and young united today in Glasgow to oppose the ongoing attack on the living standards of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society. Supporters of the Citizens United campaign successfully held up traffic passing through Glebe Drive at Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow City Centre, before being moved off the road by police. The action was supported by Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! and the Save The Accord Centre campaign. Speaking to one of the organisers an FRFI supporter reported; ‘this was a protest against a criminal system which robs and demonises the poor whilst allowing the rich to evade billions of pounds worth of taxes. We must demand taxation of the rich but we do not limit ourselves to this call for we do not seek to reform Capitalism - we are fighting to get rid of it! Socialism is the only way out’.

An organiser went on to highlight some of the cuts detailed in the Scottish budget announced yesterday; the housing budget will reduce from £268mn to £155mn in the next year (BBC website 21 September 2011) leading to poorer quality and less housing, spending on Further Education (FE) colleges will have fell by over £70mn, from £545mn this year to £471mn, in 2014/15 translating into less college places at a time of high youth unemployment, larger class sizes and more staff redundancies - over 1,000 college jobs were lost last year (The Herald 22 Sep 2011). A public sector pay freeze for those earning over £21,000 will also continue for another year (BBC website 21 Sep 2011).

These direct actions must be supported by all progressive people and are as much a product of the relative inactivity of the trade unions to combat the cuts as the injustice of the cuts themselves.

We say - Speak, for this brief time is long enough 
before your body and words die 
speak, for the truth still prevails 
speak up, say what you must.

We will be vindicated!!! 

Professor Ilina Sen (wife of jailed Indian human rights activist Binayak Sen)